In wake of piracy furore…
The government expects a decision soon from its ongoing engagement with publishers on whether original textbooks can be accessed at a cheaper price, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon said yesterday.
His statement came amid widespread condemnation of the government’s move last month to tender for pirated textbooks. This transaction has now been suspended.
Government had sought to procure photocopied books for its school distribution programme, but a number of local distributors have since been blocked by a High Court injunction from displaying, selling or producing photocopied books. The injunction was obtained by the United Kingdom’s Publishers Association.
“The engagement now has been influenced by two important occurrences. One, the involvement through litigation by reps of editors and publishers to have the commercial sector desist from producing, photocopying these textbooks for sale. The second, of course, has been the willingness of the publishers and their representatives to engage the government of Guyana on finding an amicable solution, a way forward,” he said at his post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday.
He was responding to a question posed by this newspaper. Publishers had noted that government took the decision to procure photocopied books without seeking to negotiate with them.
Luncheon said yesterday that during the ongoing talks with publishers, information was being shared on each of their positions and he anticipates a positive decision very soon. “Information is being mutually shared about the concerns, the desires of both sides. I am pretty certain that we ought to be able to provide the media, provide Guyanese, soon with the outcome of those engagements with the representatives of the publishers and editors,” he added.
The government is currently facing additional pressure to relent on its stance to breach copyrights as both the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and its umbrella body the Private Sector Commission have denounced the act.
The GCCI recommended that the Guyana government follow sister Caricom countries in reaching an agreement with publishers to have textbooks at a reduced cost as the organisation will not support the acquisition of pirated material. The organisation added that in addition to stifling or destroying the creative industry, government’s blessings of copyright violation can send a message to youths that plagiarism and other forms of theft are permissible.
When questions were first raised about the piracy the government had dismissed them. Luncheon at an earlier press conference had said: “You could be a publisher with a copyright and you could offer to sell me the book for $1. My friend is a good photocopy artist and he could sell me the book for 10 cents. All of you are going to bid but who do you think is going to get it?”
